Rowland cbomelien



gi, 'uitrit u ROWLAND CROMELIEN, OF WASHINGr'lOrI, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,A

Laminaat "Na 79,555, dated Juzg 7, 186s.

tlge-rlgrhnle riferiti tu in these Entert simtrut making part uf the same."

TO ALL WHOM I'l MAY CON CERN: v

Be it-known that I, ROWLAND CROMLIEN, 'of Washington, county of Washington, District of C olumbia, have invented'a new and improved Mode of Constructing Self-Adjusting Car-Axles and I do hereby declare that I the -following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon. i A

The nature of my inventionconsists in halving an axle in two p'artsfrom its centre, the centre part being near three tiins as thick as the ends, from whichcentre it 'is swelled down to the size for icarrying the ,car-wheel, In the centre of each half part of the axlev is drilled or cored out suiiicient room to lay in a-bolt or iron rod. FThe bolt is secured by nutsv on the inside, leaving lit suiiiciently free for'the spring to-openan'd close `while,

the wheels are running over the sharpest curve, two sliding guards lyingcn the outside surfaces, above and below thecentre of the axle, insuch a manner as to slide to and fro in a. groove as the spring works, and which guards are covered by a plate of ironover the opening, so secured by screws that said guards cannot get out, and also preventing dust from gathering on the inside of 'the axle. i

The vguard also gives additional strengthvtc the main axle if in any possible way the spring should break,

Elliptic springs working on `the same principle can be made and Secured to work in each inside central half end in an upright position, working to and fro on slots, and do equally well. Gutta perche. may also be used for the spring. I

To enable others skilled in the a'rt to make and'use my invention, I will proceed 'to describe its construe."

tion and operation.

` Figure 1-represents o' top view. A

Figure 2 represents a-front viewpartially sectioned.

A, left-,part on side of car-axle.

A', right part of car-axle.

B, left hole, drilled or cored in axle.

B', fighi hole. afines or cored in axle.

.C C, slidingY guard, dove-tail shape.

d nuts near' the connection of the two-axle parts.-

'' d, nuts on the beltor rod holding the spiral spring'.

vE, spiral spring.

F, wheels.

G, double flanges,

h, cover over centre of axle.

I construct my axle of two separate pieces of- .wrought iron, as yshown A A, which forms the complete axle of from six to 'eight feet long when put together for use asreduired.` I'

Thebolt or rod f iron lying longitudinally in the body of 4'.h'e.axle,iwhicl1 v is bored but' of the swelled part for the purpose, is to Vbe in length of from fifteen to eighteen inches, andone or two inches thick, securelyr fastened in the inside; and over and around said bolt is also vsecurely placed a strong steel or brass spiral spring; which w'orks to and from the centre. The two guards are pieces of iron, of grooved shape, working or sliding below and above' the surface of-.the body/,of the axle in a dove-tailed groove cut on each end-of the centre part .ofthe axle, to be ofsize and thickness to suit the objectand'arefully secured inside fromgetting out of place.

' With theuse of the car-axles constructedon the -above-described principles serious accidents, whichnow often occur from split rails, Wouldbe avoided; also wheels with double flanges could be used, thereby greatly.

lessening the possibility of the c ars running o`1thetrack,'and making this modef travelling more safe and greatly saving both life and property.

Axles constructed on this principle would also allow the cars 'to run from a narrow-gauge track on to a broad-gauge, and vice versa.

I disclaim the invention of car-axles, iron bolts, guards, or springs, except for the formation and use of my new improvement. A

I claim the construction of the swelled axles A A when made hollow, and with inner shoulders and nuts a a',

and enclosing the bolt D with its 'spring E E, -all as arranged, and combined with the outer clamps as and for the purpose set forth.

R. CROMELIEN. Witnesses WM. E. WARNER, ALONZO EATON. 

